Volunteer

About Volunteering on the Construction Sites
Hours 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturdays

We appreciate your interest in helping families with affordable housing here in Sonoma County.  In order to prepare for our volunteer build experience, we have a few pointers:

• Be On time:  This is critical because we have to cover safety rules, proper use of equipment, and the tasks/training for the day. Everyone must be together at the start of the day in order for us to convey and organize the work assignments most effectively. We also need each volunteer to have all paperwork completed and signed in.

• Be Flexible:  Construction tasks will vary depending on where we are at a given time during the build.  The following factors can effect this:
   o The availability of our skilled trade labor
   o Weather conditions
   o Completion of previous tasks for each home
   o Other factors out of our control.
   o Type of task for the day: As much as we know many volunteers expect to hammer and saw, this is only a small part of a home’s construction.  
   o Although they are rare, cancellations do happen. Please know we do everything in our power to avoid these and will contact you in a timely manner should one occur.

• Be Safe: Hard hats and safety glasses are furnished and required. SOLID CLOSED TOE shoes are REQUIRED. We ask that you not bring extra items to the job site (laptops, purses, etc.) because we have no safe storage area available for them. Everything other than lunch will need to be stored in your car.  Cell phones can only be used away from the jobsite; so if you must take a cell phone call, then please move to the areas designated by the build leader and volunteer coordinator. If you have a refillable water bottle, please bring one with you.

• Be Happy: We do everything in our power so that you will have a positive experience at the job site.  The families who receive our homes are very grateful for your time and efforts on their behalf.

• Leave FIDO at home: Sorry, no pets allowed on the site, except for SERVICE dogs. Please check with the volunteer coordinator about your other special needs.

Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County (HFHSC) is a volunteer-driven organization. We welcome people from all walks of life to join us as we build simple, decent, affordable houses in partnership with God and families in need. Though the vast majority have no construction experience or building skills, volunteers are involved in most phases of construction. By working side-by-side with the family who will live in the house, our volunteers experience for themselves the joy created when a family is able to realize their dream of home ownership.

Habitat volunteers contribute more than muscle. Creativity, strategy, and technical skills are among the many invaluable traits volunteers bring to the organization. With minimal staff, Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County depends upon volunteer committees for support with projects like Family Selection, Family Support, Public Relations, Construction Skills Training, and Volunteer Services. This web site is volunteer updated and maintained. We also offer opportunities in our ReStore, a volunteer-run building materials recycling center.

We invite volunteers to help us build, assist in the office, work in the ReStore, serve on committees, and help with special projects that benefit the organization. Time commitments vary; some volunteers dedicate every day of the week to HFHSC and others spend just a few hours each month working on projects or in the ReStore. As a volunteer for Habitat, you can choose to volunteer as little or as often as you would like. All of these positions are a tremendous help that directly or indirectly result in the construction of simple, decent homes. It feels good to help a worthy cause.